Single-button-actuated switch



Aug. 23, 1960 J. E. AsPxNwALL SINGLE-BUTTON-ACTUATED SWITCH Filed Sept. 22, 1958 /m/@n/@r F/ 6' 3 Jah/7 E Asp/Hwa# 5y his Uf/Omeys nited States Patent O SING-LE-BUITON-ACTUATED SWITCH John E. Aspinwall, Bolton Center, Conn., assigner to The Arrow-Hart & Hageman Electric Company, Hartford, Coun., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Sept. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 762,615

3 Claims. (Cl. Zim-156) This invention relates to electric switch mechanisms and more particularly to mechanisms for slow making and breaking engagement of switch contacts, preferably butttype contacts, the switch mechanism being particularly adapted for operation by a single operating button whose actuation causes alternate making and breaking of the contacts as the button is successively depressed.

The invention is a further development of the invention of my copending application, Serial No. 620,658, tiled November 6, 195 6 and entitled Single-Button Actuated Slow Make and Break Switch, now Patent 2,885,515.

One object of the invention is to provide a smoother actuating and quieter switch of the above-mentioned type.

yAnother object is to provide in such a switch for positive movement of the movable contact by depression of the button and utilization of mechanism, which heretofore was used to cam-operate the movable contact, for the new purpose of maintaining the movable contact in one position (either separated from or in contact with another) while depriving that mechanism of its previous contactoperating function.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the invention is described in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing: A

Fig-1 is a longitudinal section View of a switch ernbodying the invention, the section being taken along line 1-1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section view of a switch embodying the invention taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

|`Fig. 3 is a plan view of the switch of Figs, l and 2 with the cover and supporting bridge removed.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the guide member and the parts carried thereby.

Referring to the drawing, the parts are mounted within an insulating casing comprising cover and base portions 1i), i2. The base is hollowed out to receive the various parts hereinafter described. The cover portion tits within the open top of the base and has a rectangular opening 16 in its center in which is mounted a depressible button 14. The cover and the base are conventionally secured together and to a metallic mounting strap or bridge 29 which lies upon the cover. A hole is formed in the center of the bridge through which extends a hollow neck i3 on the central portion of the cover. Through this neck the button 14 extends. Four shoulders 22 arV formed at the inner corners of the button and project laterally outward from the sides thereof, so as to engage with the under or inner surface of the cover when the button is springpressed outwardly to the maximum of its travel. The shoulders limit the movement of the button in an outward direction.

The button is hollowed out to receive a U-shaped guide member stamped from sheet metal having legs 31, 32 extending inwardly into the casing. The transverse portion 33 of the guide member is lodged adjacent the ceiling of the button. Coiled compression springs 34 each have one end seated on the bottom of parallel spaced bores running from front to back in the base 12. Their other ends are around lingers 35 extending from the lower or inner ends ofthe legs 31, 32 and engage shoulders 36 between the fingers and legs to push the guide member and push button up until stopped by the push button shoulders 22 engaging the cover 16.

Mounted upon a rod 24 within the button 14 and parallel to the transverse portion of the guide member is a coiled compression spring 26, one end of which presses against one of the legs of the guide member while the other end presses against a pawl member 38. in this fashion, the pawl is resiliently held upon the rod by the spring. The aperture -through the top of the pawl through which the rod passes is large enough to permit the pawl to tilt on the rod 24 as the button is depressed.

The lower end of the pawl 38 is inclined inwardly and is adapted to engage a radial face on one or another of a series of peripheral extensions in the form of ratchet teeth 42 around the periphery of an insulating rotor or switch contact maintaining member, at the central portion thereof.

The rotor is preferably a molded insulation member. As viewed in Fig. 3, this member comprises a shaft having journal portions 41 at opposite ends adapted to tit in bearings in the opposite side walls of the base.

In the form illustrated, there are twelve ratchet teeth located at the center of the rotor and spaced 30 apart, each comprising a hat surface extending approximately radially and Van arcuate surface curving from the outer edge of the radial surface toward the periphery of the rotor body. As the button 14 is depressed, the pawl 3S engages with the flat radial surface of the teeth, causing rotation of the rotor until the button is fully depressed. As the button reaches the lower end of its travel, the inner end or" the pawl is required by the body of the rotor to move radially outward slightly. This outward movement or tilting of the pawl 33 is permitted by reason of the spring mounting of the upper end of the pawl upon the rod, as hereinbefore described.

The movable contact members, such as 50, each consist of an L-shaped exible strip of thin sheet metal extending lengthwise of the casing, being anchored by its short leg or end by attachment to a terminal plate 52 conventionally held in slots running from front to back of the casing. The other or free end on the contact strip has contact button 54 on its top or bottom surface, or both, for engagement with xed contact buttons 56, 57 on conventional terminal plates 53, 59 also tted in slots in the casing.

When the invention is -applied to a double-pole or a three-way switch or any switch requiring two movable contact strips, such contact strips Si), 50 may be mounted on opposite sides of the casing.

For operating the iiexible movable contact members, a transverse strip or bar 46 of thin sheet insulation is mounted on one leg 31 `of the guide member in any suitable fashion. The transverse bar is in position to become engaged with the movable contact strips 5t), Sii near their free or button-carrying ends when the actuating button 14 is depressed. When the actuating button 14 is in normal outwardly-biased position, the bar preferably will not touch the movable contact strips in order to avoid the possibility of interference with engagement of the fixed and movable contact buttons. Also, by having a small amount of movement required before the transverse bar 46 engages the movable contact strips, the likelihood of anyone toying with the button and causing slight separation of fixed and movable contact buttons, or minimizing the pressure to such an extent to allow a temperature rise, is minimized if not avoided. When two contact strips are to be engaged and operated by the transverse insulating bar, it is advantageous for the bar to be riveted upon the leg of the U-shaped guide member loosely so that it can pivot slightly in the event that the Vbar should engage 4one -of the contact strips .before the other rather -than engaging them simultaneously.

' Moreover, such pivoting allows self-adjustment Iof the bar so that pressure upon the contact strips is equally exerted as the button is depressed, thus tending to cause memberV so as not to pivot but to transmit, without regression, all of thefdepressive force to the movable Contact strip.

The invention is not limited to a separate insulating bar 46Y attached to the guide member. lof the invention to form a transverse arm integrally in any fashion with the leg of the guide member and to provide insulation between the contactstrips and the 'guide member or transverse arm, it being the objective to prevent passage ofV current from one contact strip to another through the bar when two strips are used and, in certain cases, to prevent current being transmitted to the Voperating parts of the switch including the guide member, pawl and spring and their support although it isV Ynot essential in all cases that the guide member and Y.associated parts be electrically dead.

Itis within the scope' Vcur to those skilled in the art.

For `the purpose of maintaining the movable contact strip ilV in one switch position or allowing it to assume the fotherttor example, disengaged from the upper contact button 56 or in engagement therewithL'rotarypositioning members 60, 66 Vare'non-rotatably mounted on the portions ot the rotor between the ratchet teeth 4Z and thejournal portions 41, parts of the rotor being flattened to'slidably andV axially'receive the camy members noni *rotatablyV on the rotor.

movable contact strip 5t) to cause the strip to be main` tained in position with its button 54 disengagedV fromV Ythe tixed contact button V36 whenever a Ytooth is over the `strip the actuating Vbutton 14 has risen under its springV bias to normal position, Y Y Y When a space 62 between the lobes is over the Contact From the foregoing, it will be understood that the next depressive motion lof the actuating button 14 causes eventual engagement of thetransverse bar 46 with the movable contact strip or strips and disengagement of the upper fixed contact. At the same time, the pawl 38 engages the rigid teeth on the rotor and turns the latter into a new position in which the next tooth `or lobe will be directed against movable contact strip 5d preventing Ythe contact strip from returning to its original position and, thus, maintaining the condition Yot disengagement of the upper iixed contact. (lf a lower lined contact is present, it will remain engaged by the movable Contact.) On the Vnext depression of the actuating button lf2, Vthe rotor is further rotated and the cam tooth is moved out of engagement with the movable contact striprand a space between the teeth is presented over the strip and the above-described action is repeated. Y

This arrangement provides aV smooth and quiet action of the switch as well as providing a positive and direct movement of the movable contact by the depressive movement of the actuating button 14 itself.

Modilications within the scope of the inventionlwill oc- Therefore, the'invenitration tion is Vnot inuit-ed Y of the parts as illustrated.

What is claimed is: Y 1. In an electric switch, a depressible push button, meansr to restore said button lto original position when manual pressure is released, a liexiblecontact member movable between two switching positions, a contact-operating member movable in direct responseito movements of saidbutton and engaging said contact member to move said contact member. from one switching Vposition. to another, rotary meansoperable in responseV torsaid button movement to retain said Contact member in the one Vor the other switching position after it has been moved there by said contact-operating member, and a iiXed contact member-engaged by Vsaid'rnovable contact member in one of its positions.l

2. In an electric switch,ra depressible Ypush button, a; exible contact member movable between Ytwo switching positions, a rotary device engaging said movable contact Vmember and retaining the latter in one Vswitching position or the other, means operable by theV button' and` carrying a iirst member to move said` contact member from one switching position to another `and also carrying a second YV'member Yto operate said rotarydevice4 a fixed contact Y `mernber engaged by said movable contact member in one Ystrip, Sarthe strip can rise, allowing theV contact button'.Y

V54 to engage iiXed contact button 5'5.

From the foregoing, it will be `observed that with the Vparts in the position of Fig. l, as the actuating buttonY V141 is depressed,'the pawl 33 lwill engage oneor another of itspositions, said iirst member controlling contact engagement and disengagement to the exclusion of said rotary device, and means Yto restore said button'andY said Y first member to original position when manual pressure of the ratchet teeth Z to cause rotation of ythe rotor and Y movementr'of the cam (or cams 69 in a double-pole orV i to rise when linger pressure is removed from the actuat- -ing button i4 and the transverse contact Voperating bar Y .46 rises.

Y VThis will allow the Vupper bu ton 54- on the movable contact strip to 1re-engage the button 55 on the Y Y-ixed contactmember (and for the button on the lower side Yof movabie contact stripto disengage the'iimed button of lthe lower fixed contact button when Ysuch is used). Obviously, in some switches'there need be nolower xed lcontact whilein othersV there may not be anyupper iixed Ycontactfit being Within the skill of those Vfamiliar with is released. Y Y Y 3. In an electricVV switch, a depressible Ypush button, a

VeXible contact member movable between two switching positions, a rotary device Yhaving cam surfaces and a ratchet, means operable by the button and carrying a of its positions, and means to restore said button and said contact-moving member (to Voriginal position when1man ual pressure is released, said Vbiittorboperated contactvmoving member controlling contact engagement `and disengagement to the exclusion of said rotary device.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES'PATENTS V683,692 Lalldn Oct. 1,"1901 @the art to'provide such fixed contacts and movable Vcon- V.-9 VVAtact buttons as are required for a single-pole, Ya double- Y. pole, a three-way Vor any other standard type of switch 'Vfarrangement Y Y 'Y 

